Marcellus Shale rally at Pennsylvania Capitol focuses on jobs

Pennsylvanians have filled seven out of every ten new hires in the industry since 2008, said Coalition President Kathryn Klaber during a pro-industry rally at the State Capitol on Tuesday.

Bradford County — the center of drilling activity at the moment — currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 5.1 percent. Two years ago it was over 10 percent.

Rob Boulware is grateful he found a good job last week that allows him to be close to his elderly parents on their farm in Westmoreland County.

He’s grateful for Marcellus Shale and the economic boom surrounding the extraction of the natural gas trapped inside it.

Boulware was hired last week by the Marcellus Shale Coalition, the leading industry group behind that boom.

It’s not just a personal gratitude for Boulware.

The past president of the Westmoreland County 4-H board, said “I’ve spent a lot of time talking to FFA and 4-H families, and it’s fun to hear their stories about how they have been able to maintain their farms… because of the opportunities in the Marcellus Shale.”

Jobs have always been the first talking point for the coalition, but some have questioned the extent to which Pennsylvanians are actually being hired within the industry.

Pennsylvanians have filled seven out of every ten new hires in the industry since 2008, said Coalition President Kathryn Klaber during a pro-industry rally at the State Capitol on Tuesday.

Klaber said an internal survey of the coalition’s members showed 74 percent of new jobs were filled by Pennsylvanians, which tallies closely to a Labor and Industry estimate of 71 percent.

Klaber stood in front of a phalanx of men in suits, executives from companies involved in Marcellus gas production. After the rally, they intended to go talk with lawmakers who are considering no fewer than 70 different bills related to Marcellus.

Of the many debatable issues surrounding Marcellus, job creation isn’t one of them — especially in the rural northern tier.

Bradford County — the center of drilling activity at the moment — currently has the lowest unemployment rate in the state at 5.1 percent. Two years ago it was over 10 percent.

“There’s lots of opportunity to improve the region and the state, it just has to be done in a responsible manner,” said Boulware, who was hired last week to promote best practices within the industry.

“And for me,” he said, “it’s an opportunity to enjoy the later years of my parents’ lives.”

NOTE: Click HERE to view this article, photos and video from the Harrisburg Patriot-News.